The 2010 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

      Terrain:

      coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes

      Elevation extremes:

      lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

      highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m

      Natural resources:

      hydropower

      Land use:

      arable land: 4.4%

      permanent crops: 5.87%

      other: 89.73% (2005)

      Irrigated land:

      1,080 sq km (2003)

      Total renewable water resources:

      112.4 cu km (2000)

      Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

      total: 2.68 cu km/yr (29%/17%/53%)

      per capita: 619 cu m/yr (2000)

      Natural hazards:

      occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes

      volcanism: Arenal (elev. 1,670 m, 5,479 ft), which erupted in 2010, is the most active volcano in Costa Rica; a 1968 eruption destroyed the town of Tabacon; Irazu (elev. 3,432 m, 11,260 ft), situated just east of San Jose, has the potential to spew ash over the capital city as it did between 1963 and 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Miravalles, Poas, Rincon de la Vieja, and Turrialba

      Environment - current issues:

      deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution

      Environment - international agreements:

      party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto

       Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental

       Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,

       Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling

      signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

      Geography - note:

      four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963–65

      People ::Costa Rica

      Population:

      4,516,220 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 122

      Age structure:

      0–14 years: 26.7% (male 581,916/female 555,216)

      15–64 years: 67.1% (male 1,443,606/female 1,411,168)

      65 years and over: 6.2% (male 120,969/female 141,002) (2010 est.)

      Median age:

      total: 28.4 years

      male: 27.9 years

      female: 28.9 years (2010 est.)

      Population growth rate:

      1.347% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93

      Birth rate:

      16.65 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 123

      Death rate:

      4.29 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 206

      Net migration rate:

      1.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 53

      Urbanization:

      urban population: 63% of total population (2008)

      rate of urbanization: 2.3% annual rate of change (2005–10 est.)

      Sex ratio:

      at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

      under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

      15–64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

      65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female

      total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

      total: 9.72 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 154 male: 10.59 deaths/1,000 live births

      female: 8.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

      total population: 77.54 years country comparison to the world: 55 male: 74.93 years

      female: 80.28 years (2010 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

      1.93 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 138

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

      0.4% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 84

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

      9,700 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 106

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

      fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 123

      Major infectious diseases:

      degree of risk: intermediate

      food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea

      vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2009)

      Nationality:

      noun: Costa Rican(s)

      adjective: Costa Rican

      Ethnic groups:

      white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%

      Religions:

      Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

      Languages:

      Spanish (official), English

      Literacy:

      definition: age 15 and over can read and write

      total population: 94.9%

      male: 94.7%

      female: 95.1% (2000 census)

      School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

      total: 12 years

      male: 12 years

      female: 12 years (2005)

      Education expenditures:

      5% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 66

      Government ::Costa Rica

      Country name:

      conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica

      conventional short form: Costa Rica

      local long form: Republica de Costa Rica

      local short form: Costa Rica

      Government type:

      democratic republic

      Capital:

      name: San Jose

      geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W

      time difference: UTC-6